Rajoy doesn’t exclude putting himself forward for investiture

Barcelona (CNA).- . Current Spanish Prime Minister, Mariano Rajoy, and Spanish Socialist Party (PSOE) leader, Pedro Sánchez, met this Friday for the first time after the 20-D Spanish Elections. After the encounter, which lasted less than half an hour, Rajoy announced that he may still put himself forward for investiture. “The most reasonable thing, in democratic terms, would be a government led by the People’s Party” he stated and added that PP won the 20-D elections and obtained “more than one million votes more” than PSOE. Regarding the approach towards Catalonia’s push for independence, Rajoy said they hadn’t talked about it but emphasised the commitment of both leaders to “complying with the Spanish Constitution”. Rajoy also referred to Catalan President Carles Puigdemont’s statement to Barcelona’s diplomats, considering it “lamentable and unconstitutional” to have told the consuls that “Catalonia walks towards independence”. “This could have been said by a radical at a rally” but not by a president of a government he stated.

“I told Sánchez that the best thing for Spain would be an agreement between PP, PSOE and Ciutadans” Rajoy explained. “The most reasonable thing, in democratic terms, would be to form a government led by PP” he stressed “since we are the winning party and obtained more than one million more votes than PSOE”. “I keep my position and therefore I don’t exclude presenting myself for investiture”.

For his part, Sánchez described the meeting with Rajoy as “useful”, since it gave the Spanish people an image of dialogue “between the main parties”. However, he emphasised that “while PSOE were in opposition, they proved themselves to be responsible” and have always supported the governing party, PP, on major issues “such as terrorism”.

PSOE’s leader asked Rajoy to give him detailed information about Spain’s economy and the public budget and also urged him to “stop the scaremongering” which “his ministers” have started.

Rajoy on Puigdemont’s statements to Barcelona’s diplomats: more proper of a “radical”

Although he admitted that Catalonia’s push for independence wasn’t laid on the table during his encounter with Sánchez, Rajoy did remark that he considered Puigdemont’s announcement to Barcelona’s consuls “very worrying”. “[Such a statement] could have been said by a radical at a rally but should never by said by a president of a government”. Thus he said he considers it “very important” to be “really forceful” when defending “Spain’s unity, national sovereignty and the equality of all the Spanish citizens”.